Here’s a recipe I’m republishing with updated photos (which I find prettier than the previous ones) and updated quantities. Having made it again last weekend, I got 6 large choux buns with these quantities (rather than 8).
It’s truly a recipe I adore, which I discovered in issue no. 3 of Fou de Pâtisserie magazine. I used Philippe Conticini’s Paris-Brest recipe, which I’d already published, and simply presented it the way Jean-François Piège does (a large choux bun with a praline cream, containing a small choux bun filled with pure praline).
A small difference compared with Mr Piège’s recipe as found in the magazine: I used a homemade praline, 50% hazelnut and 50% almond (you can see the little grains in the cream, it’s so good!), whereas the original recipe calls for hazelnut paste and almond praline.
I loved this dessert, the praline chou-chou inspired by Jean-François Piège! The craquelin adds a crunchy touch, the cream is smooth and the large choux bun reveals a smaller choux bun filled with pure praline.
Pure indulgence! I highly recommend you give it a try.
Ingredients & preparation
5 components · Full recipe
Craquelin (you’ll have some left over)
Ingredients
- 40 g (1.4 oz) unsalted butter
- 50 g (1.8 oz) light brown sugar
- 50 g (1.8 oz) flour
- 1 pinch of salt
Preparation
1
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, light brown sugar and salt. Add the softened butter and knead for a few minutes until you have a smooth, homogeneous dough.
2
Roll the dough out to a thickness of 3 mm between two sheets of baking parchment.
3
Cut out 6 discs of 4–5 cm (2 in) in diameter (to match the size of your large choux) and 6 discs of 2–3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter (I like to add craquelin to the small choux too, even though they’ll be hidden inside).
4
Set aside in the freezer.
Choux Pastry (you’ll have some left over too)
Ingredients
- 125 g (4.4 oz) water
- 2 g (0.1 oz) salt
- 2 g (0.1 oz) sugar
- 60 g (2.1 oz) butter
- 80 g (2.8 oz) T45 flour
- 125 g (4.4 oz) whole eggs
Preparation
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F on static heat (no fan).
2
Bring the water, salt, sugar and butter to the boil.
3
Remove from the heat and add all the sifted flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon.
4
Return to the heat for 30 seconds to dry out the panade (it should start to stick slightly to the bottom of the saucepan).
5
Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
6
Beat the eggs together as for an omelette.
7
Add the eggs gradually. The dough should be neither too thick nor too runny — it should fall in a ribbon. A line traced through the dough with your finger should slowly close back up.
8
Pipe 6 choux of 5 cm (2 in) in diameter and 6 small choux of 2–3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. It helps to draw (or print out) a template on the parchment, then flip it over.
9
Place a craquelin disc on top of each choux.
10
Bake the large choux for 40–45 minutes and the small choux for 20–25 minutes (adjust timing according to your oven).
11
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool at room temperature.
Praline Mousseline Cream
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) fresh whole milk
- ½ vanilla pod
- 50 g (1.8 oz) sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 10 g (0.4 oz) T45 flour
- 10 g (0.4 oz) cornstarch
- 150 g (5.3 oz) butter
- 75 g (2.6 oz) praline (homemade)
Preparation
1
Sift together the flour and cornstarch.
2
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks, then stir in the flour and cornstarch.
3
Bring the whole milk to the boil in a large saucepan with the vanilla seeds and pod. Set a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl, then pour in the hot milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly, to loosen the mixture. Pour everything back into the saucepan.
4
Whisk over medium heat until the cream thickens. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface, and leave to cool at room temperature.
5
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl), beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the praline, then gradually incorporate the smoothed pastry cream and whisk until you achieve a light, mousse-like “mousseline” texture.
6
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and keep in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Praline Insert
Ingredients
- 80 g (2.8 oz) praline
- 30 g (1.1 oz) whipping cream
Preparation
1
Emulsify cold by pouring the cream over the praline in 3 additions, stirring to combine.
2
Transfer to a piping bag and keep in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Assembly
Ingredients
- icing sugar, for dusting
Preparation
1
Using a serrated knife, slice each large choux horizontally in half.
2
Pipe the pure praline filling into the small choux.
3
Pipe a layer of praline mousseline cream into each large choux, add a small filled choux and press down gently, then finish with another generous layer of praline mousseline cream.
4
Place the lid back on each large choux and dust with icing sugar.
5
If you are keeping the cream puffs in the refrigerator before serving, remember to take them out about 20 minutes beforehand — otherwise the mousseline cream will be too firm.
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